Electric railway-switch.



G. HYLER & B. HERBISON. ELECTRIC RAILWAY SWITCH. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 29, 1913. RENEWED DEC 17, 1914.

L%9,U9?, Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

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GEORGE HYLER AND IBEAUFORD HERBISON, OF LANSING, MICHIGAN.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters-Patent.

PattentedFeb. 23, 1915.

Application filed May 29, 1913, Serial No. 770,604. Renewed December 17, 1914. Serial 1T0. 877,764.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, GEORGE HYLER and BEAUFORD HERBISON, citizens of the United States, residing at Lansing, in the county of Ingham and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Railway-Switches, of

which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to railway switches and has for its object to provide a novel switch actuating mechanism by means of which the switch can be controlled from a moving car without the necessity of stopping the car or providing a special attendant.

A further object of the invention is to provide a switch actuating mechanism which is simple and inexpensive in its construction, which is positive in its action, which will automatically close the switch after the car has passed around on the siding, and which admits of the main current being employed for operating the switch.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is aside elevation of a car and a portion of a track, the circuits incident to the switch operating mechanism being shown diagrammatically. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the switch and electro-magnets for operating the same, portions being broken away and shown in section. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the upper portion of the trolley pole, showing a portion of the trolley wire and one of the short supplemental trolley wires. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line H of Fig. 2.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in-allthe views of the drawing by the same-reference characters. t

Referring to the drawings, the numeral .1 designates the main track and 2 a siding or branch track, the usual switch point 3 being located at the junction ,of the two tracks. This switch point 3 is normally in a closed position, as shown by Fig. 2, so that the rolling stock will travel continuously upon the main track and not be switched around upon the side track. The base of the switch point 3 is pivoted at 4: and provided with a lateral arm 5. This lateral arm 5 projects into a casing 6 arranged at one side of the track and has the extremity thereof loosely connected to a reciprocating rod 7 the said reciprocating rod being slidably mounted within the bearings 8 and being provided at opposite ends thereof with the armatures 9 and 10 respectively. Electro-magnets 11 and 12 are provided for the respective armatures 9 and 10, so as to produce a sliding movement of the reciprocating rod 7 as the electro-magnets are successively energized. When the electro-magnet 11 is energized so as to attract the armature 9 the switch point 3 is moved into a closed position, while when the electro-magnet 12 is energized so as to attract the armature 10 the switch point 3 is moved into an open position.

The car 13 may be of the conventional construction, being provided with the usual trolley pole 1 1 which carries a main harp 15 having a contact roller 16 journaled thereon for engagement with the main trolley wire '17. The upper end of the trolley pole 141 carries a second harp 18, which bears a spaced and parallel relation to the main harp 15 and is provided with an auxiliary contact roller 19 which is adapted to engage short trolley wires 20 which are located at suitable points in the length of the main trolley wire 17. The auxiliary harp 18 is insulated from the main harp 15, and in a like manner the short supplemental trolley wires 20 are insulated from the main trolley wires 17. In the present instance the short trolley wires 20 are shown as sup ported by the forked brackets 21 which project from the supporting poles 22 disposed at one side of'thetrack, although any suitable or conventional means may be utilized for supporting the main trolley wire and the short supplemental trolley wires.

A switch 23 is provided upon the car,

. preferably upon the front platform thereof so as to be readily manipulated by the motorman, and a suitable conductor 24: leads from one terminal of this switch 23 to the second harp 18 and auxiliary contact roller 19, while a conductor or wire 25 leads from the opposite terminal of the switch 23 to the main harp 15 and main contact roller 16. In practice this conductor 25 would be connected to one of the main circuit wires of the car, so that when the switch 23 is closed the switch operating circuit will be shunted from the main circuit.

One of the terminals 26 of the electromagnet 11 is connected by a conductor 27 to the track rails at 28, while the opposite terminal 29 is connected by a wire 30 to one of the short supplemental trolley wires 20. In a similar manner one of the terminals 31 of the electro-magnet 12 is connected by a wire 32 to the track rails as indicated at 33, while the opposite terminal 34 is connected by a wire 35 to one of the short trolley wires 20 which is arranged in advance of the switch point.

When the electric switch 23 is open, the car will travel along the main track 1 without actuating the switch operating mechanism. However, when the switch 23 is closed and the auxiliary contact roller 19 of the second harp 18 engages one short supplemental trolley wire 20 in advance of the switch point, the circuit through the electro-magnet 12 will be closed so as to energize the same. The current for this circuit is taken from the main trolley wire 17, carried by the conductor 25 to the switch 23 and by the conductor 24 from the said switch to the auxiliary harp 18. When the auxiliary contact roller 19 engages one short supplemental trolley wire 20, the current is carried by the wire 35 to the electro-magnet 12, and by the wire 32 from the electromagnet to the track rails. When this electro-magnet 12 is energized the armature 10 is attracted and the rod 11 moved longitudinally to swing the lateral arm 5 and throw the switch point 3 into an open position. The car will now pass upon the siding or branch track 2, and the auxiliary contact roller 19 of the second harp 18 will be brought into engagement with another short supplemental trolley wire 20 which is located at the far side of the switch. The circuit through the electro-magnet 11 will now be closed, in the same manner that the circuit through the electro-magnet 12 was previously closed. When this electro-magnet 12 is thus energized the armature 10 W111 be attracted toward the same so as to move the reciprocating rod 7 back to its original position and again close the switch. It will thus be obvious that when the motorman desires to pass upon the branch track or siding 2 it is merely necessary for him to close the switch 23 before the car reaches the siding, the switch point 3 being then automatically thrown into an open position to admit of the car passing upon the siding and being again automatically closed after the car has left the main track.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A railway switch including a main track, a branch track, a swinging switch point, a pair of independent electro-magnets, means actuated by the electro-magnets for moving the switch point in opposite directions, one of the terminals of each of the electro-magnets being grounded, a pair of independent short supplemental trolley wires extending parallel to the main trolley wire and arranged at one side thereof, said supplemental trolley wires being insulated from the main trolley wire and being located in advance of and beyond the switch point, respectively, conductors leading from the opposite terminals of the electro-magnets to the respective supplemental trolley wires, a second harp upon the trolley pole, a second contact roller journaled upon the second harp and insulated from the main contact member, said second contact member being adapted to momentarily engage the short supplemental trolley wires before and after the car reaches the switch point, and means for establishing electrical connection between the second contact roller and the main contact member.

2. A railway switch including a main track, a branch track, a swinging switch point pivoted at one end thereof, a lateral arm rigid with the pivot end of the switch point and having a slotted extremity, a reciprocating rod arranged transversely with respect to the lateral arm, guide members for the reciprocating rod, a pin projecting from the reciprocating rod and loosely received within the slotted extremity of the lateral arm, armatures at opposite ends of the reciprocating rod, electro-magnets for the armatures, one of the terminals of each of the electro-magnets being grounded, a pair of short supplemental trolley wires arranged at one side of and insulated from the main trolley wire, one of the said supplemental trolley wires being located in advance of the switch point, while the other supplemental trolley wire is arranged beyond the switch point, conductors leading from the opposite terminals of the electromagnets to the respective supplemental trol- In testimony whereof we aflix our signaley wires, a second harp and contact memtures in presence of two witnesses. ber upon the trolley pole of the car and in- GEORGE HYLER sulated from the main harp and contact BEAUFORD HER'BISON member, and means for establishing electrical connection between the second contact Witnesses:

member and main contact member to close J. W. BAILEY, the circuits through the electro-magnets. BERT J. BAKER.

@opies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ratents,

Washington, 10. G. 

